The Upper Realm, the desolate Platform of Investiture of the Gods.
The great battle had subsided. Wei Zhangjiao, the sect leader of the Daoist ancestral court, clad in a cyan long dress, knelt silently on the ancient bluestone. Her intelligent, beautiful eyes gazed down at the mortal world, fixated on the battle.
Lin Zhao was dead. The tear tracks on Wei Huarou's eyes had not yet dried. Now, Little Jiujiu was also dead. And it was because she had listened to Wei Huarou's words, slaying an immortal within a painting and killing that troublesome Nine-Tailed Fox, which had led to Little Jiujiu's current karma.
For a moment, Wei Huarou's tears flowed uncontrollably, her slender shoulders trembling, her heart filled with self-reproach and guilt.
To arrange various formations in the mortal realm with the supreme fourteen realms of Daoism, it seemed like the Great Dao was heartless. But in reality, she knew she owed Lin Zhao and Little Jiujiu far too much.
...
Snow Region Heavenly Pond.
"Boom—"
With a world-shaking roar, the Four Seas and Eight Desolations Map exploded, its dense and chaotic sword intent crisscrossing heaven and earth. The "Slaying Immortal in a Painting" meticulously planned by the great demons Kunpeng, Qing Kui, Ji An, and Long Zheng had succeeded, eliminating the formidable enemy Su Qingjiu for the demon race.
A wisp of sword dao destiny soared into the sky, then dispersed, feeding back into the entire human realm.
"Crack!"
Long Zheng spun through the air and caught a divine sword falling from the scattered debris. It was Little Jiujiu's treasured sword, the Xunlu Sword. A smile curved her lips as she chuckled, "Heh?"
Immediately, Long Zheng, holding the Xunlu Sword, cupped her hands towards the Demon Ancestor Qing Kui and said, "Demon Ancestor, may I have this Xunlu Sword?"
"Indeed."
The Demon Ancestor Qing Kui nodded. "The merit for slaying Su Qingjiu is yours, Long Zheng. This Xunlu Sword belongs to you. It is rightfully earned, so take it. Henceforth, use it to slay more human cultivators for our demon realm!"
"Yes!"
...
"Little Jiujiu..."
Within the sealed space, the world was plunged into darkness.
Lin Zhao sat on the ground, utterly dejected, tears streaming down his face.
Leng Yan didn't know how to comfort him. She could only let Lin Zhao have his moment of solitude. As for herself, she continued to lead the members of the Sheng Tian Guild in fighting demons!
On the ground, all the players in White City watched the fierce battle in the sky. The moment Su Qingjiu sacrificed herself, everyone was filled with grief and indignation. Especially those players who were immersed in the story of "Tian Xia" and deeply favored the character of Little Jiujiu. Many were already in tears.
For the future of the human race, the Snow Region Heavenly Pond had paid too great a price.
...
"It's my turn."
Tang Guangjun, a disheveled man, arrived with a sweep. He caught a formation eye talisman stone thrown by Huang Tingyu from the wind. His tattered cloak billowed behind him as he ascended into the sky, his face etched with determination. Carrying his sword, he soared upwards and immediately cleaved an eleventh-realm demon cultivator into a rain of blood.
"Sword Immortal Su has sacrificed herself, did you think the Snow Region Heavenly Pond would be empty?"
He sneered, his military aura surging. Figures of clashing swords and horses appeared around him. Tang Guangjun's current thirteenth realm was incredibly powerful. To summon the aura of the military was now effortless. He glanced back and asked, "Who can hold my talisman stone?"
"I will," a golden figure rose from Hexiang Academy. It was Gu Lingyu, a thirteenth-realm Confucian sage. With a single step, he moved to the east section of the north city wall of White City. After catching the talisman stone thrown by Tang Guangjun, he immediately erected a small Confucian realm, propping up a world and using Confucian true intent to aid Tang Guangjun's sword strikes.
Instantly, thunder rumbled incessantly in the sky. A treasured sword ascended, accompanied by an unrestrained military killing aura. Tang Guangjun had taken Su Qingjiu's place. His sword edge, chillingly sharp, had already slain countless umbrella-wielding heart demons. His sword qi was so fierce that it forced many thirteenth-realm great demons to avoid him. Only the fourteenth-realm beings Qing Kui Demon Ancestor, Lian Ban, and Ji An dared to approach and engage.
Although Su Qingjiu had sacrificed herself, her contributions were immense. Countless great demons had fallen beneath the Xunlu Sword. In the end, she even self-destructed a natal star, taking the great demon Canglan with her. In terms of the exchange of combat power between enemy and ally, Su Qingjiu had definitely profited, and profited greatly.
Unfortunately, the Xunlu Sword now fell into the hands of the great demon Long Zheng, posing a considerable challenge.
In the wind.
Tang Guangjun, his tattered cloak billowing, his immense military killing aura surging, raised his long sword and forced back the great demon Ji An with a single strike. He swung his left fist, shattering a fierce palm strike from Qing Kui Demon Ancestor. Then, he ruthlessly slashed his sword towards a nearly invisible cloud nearby.
"Get out!"
Within the sword light, the great demon Chen Feng laughed heartily, blocking Tang Guangjun's sword with a wisp of the Three Realms' wind. He chuckled, "Sword Immortal Tang is indeed formidable. Tsk, tsk, this killing aura is far more potent than Su Qingjiu's. Be careful of being too ostentatious; you might die faster!"
"Don't worry!"
Tang Guangjun tilted his head, a grim smile on his lips as he looked at Chen Feng. "If I've learned anything in the Snow Region Heavenly Pond, it's to be cautious, just like the Mountain Lord taught me. If you want my life, come and try. Let's see how many of your demon race's beasts are enough to kill!"
"If you want to kill, we have plenty!"
Chen Feng raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Our demon race has no shortage of disciples and descendants, no shortage of upper five realms. Without the combat power of Ding Mucha, Lie Yun, Wang Xu, and others, do you humans in the lower realms have the capability?"
Tang Guangjun sneered and fell silent. Chen Feng was not only ruthless and insidious in his attacks but also quite sinister. Facing his psychological warfare, Tang Guangjun understood. The best response was to ignore it. If the Mountain Lord were still here, he would likely have done the same – simply kill the enemy.
Thus, Tang Guangjun suddenly turned, unleashing a surge of military sword intent, and fiercely clashed with the approaching Long Zheng.
"Clang—"
Tang Guangjun, wielding the power of the entire Ten Directions Great Array, stood unmoving. Long Zheng, however, was sent reeling back dozens of steps in the air, her feet leaving golden ripples. The Xunlu Sword in her hand emanated a heavy killing aura. Her delicate face was filled with suspicion. While Su Qingjiu's sword heart was indeed extraordinary, she had accepted that. But who was this disheveled man that he was also so powerful?
"Bitch!"
Tang Guangjun glanced at Long Zheng, a casual smile on his lips. "Keep staring and I'll deal with you!"
Although Tang Guangjun had become more restrained and cautious after following Lin Zhao in the Snow Region Heavenly Pond, his inherent wildness had never changed. Now that both the Mountain Lord and Little Jiujiu were dead, Tang Guangjun's heart was shattered. He no longer cared about the Great Dao or the human realm. He only wanted to fight to his heart's content and then follow them.
As for Long Zheng, what of it, even if she held the divine sword Xunlu?
In Tang Guangjun's mind, although his own sword, Dengtian, was an ordinary immortal sword, it was a perfect match for him. It sought only to "ascend to heaven with a single sword." If you don't ascend, I will. It was all about the exhilaration.
It was precisely this arrogance and killing aura that supported Tang Guangjun's current presence, which was no less than Su Qingjiu's. Wielding his sword, he fought valiantly, felling great demons one after another.
...
White Emperor City, the imperial court.
This battle had raged from dawn till dusk.
In the imperial court, candles were lit. A group of civil and military officials had not yet adjourned.
Zhao Shutong's eyes were red. Following Lin Zhao, Su Qingjiu had also sacrificed herself. Su Qingjiu's sacrifice had a profound impact on the human realm.
In the lower realm, the twin pillars of the human sword dao were Lin Wanhua and Su Qingjiu. Su Qingjiu's talent and combat power were in no way inferior to Lin Wanhua's. Now that Su Qingjiu was gone, it was a tremendous loss for humanity.
The young Human Emperor, Zhao Jingheng, clad in dragon robes, lacked much of his imperial majesty at this moment. He sat cross-legged on the golden steps, gazing at the scene in the Moon Observing Mirror. In the mirror, the Snow Region Heavenly Pond needed no lamps; the roar of cannons and the brilliant sword energy illuminated the entire Snow Region Heavenly Pond as if it were daylight.
"Historians."
Zhao Jingheng called out.
"Your Majesty, your humble servants are here."
Three historians bowed in unison, awaiting his command.
Zhao Jingheng pointed at the Moon Observing Mirror, his voice hoarse, and said softly, "Record it all... Record Marshal Lin's achievements, the names of every great demon he killed. And also, Sword Immortal Su Qingjiu, the great demons she slew... their names must be found. And... and Tang Guangjun, Zhu Zhi, and others. Every contribution they made to the human realm, I want all people to remember them!"
As he spoke, his eyes turned red, and tears welled up again.
Even now, Zhao Jingheng could not believe that Lin Baiyi, whom he had revered like a god, had sacrificed himself, been crushed beneath Mount Wuwang, and now lay entombed deep within the human lands, his remains utterly annihilated.
Now, Su Qingjiu had also sacrificed herself, slain within a mysterious scroll of the demon race, meeting the same fate as Lin Baiyi – her remains utterly lost. Such outstanding talents of the human race should not have met such an end, but the tides of fate had dictated it so.
As the Human Emperor, Zhao Jingheng wanted to do something. Even if Lin Baiyi and Su Qingjiu sought no fame, he, Zhao Jingheng, would vindicate them. He wanted the common folk below and the cultivators above in the human realm to know that it was people like Lin Baiyi and Su Qingjiu who had defended the realm, and their achievements were unparalleled in history!
Zhao Shutong's beautiful eyes were veiled with mist. She looked at the three historians and said softly, "Comply with the decree and record it. If there are names of great demons you do not recognize, you may inquire with the cultivators of the Shan Hai Division. Huang Qingning, you also help to complete the names, true forms, and other details of those great demons who were slain."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Huang Qingning rose and walked towards the historians. At this moment, this old cultivator, who had meticulously planned, felt his heart clear. Although he had clashed with Lin Baiyi and Zhao Shutong, on this matter, he felt he had no choice but to participate.
...
Snow Region Heavenly Pond, night fell.
An old gentleman in a grey robe, a wine gourd hanging from his waist, quietly appeared on a mountain peak ten li away from the Snow Region Heavenly Pond. The mountain was covered in snow. The old gentleman, disregarding the severe cold, climbed the mountain. From afar, he looked towards the Snow Region Heavenly Pond and sighed.
Little Jiujiu had finally tasted the feeling of "death." However, it was alright. The karma of the Great Dao still remained, and it could be remedied to some extent.
With this thought, the old gentleman gently flipped his palm. A white leaf flew forward. He then stepped to follow. Ahead, golden ripples shone brightly. In a blink of an eye, the old gentleman stepped into the ripples with the white leaf. The moment his toes touched the ground, he was standing on a stone bridge.
Beneath the bridge, a youth was fishing. It was a young Lin Zhao.
Further in the distance, it was Little Jiujiu, returning from school. Clutching a pinwheel, she rushed onto the bridge. The next moment, Little Jiujiu tilted her head and looked at the old gentleman, "Old sir, have I met you somewhere before?"
"Mm."
The old gentleman took Little Jiujiu's hand and smiled. "Alright, say goodbye to Brother Lin Zhao. We'll see you again a long, long time from now."
"Oh..."
Little Jiujiu seemed to instantly understand many things. Her large eyes turned red. She then turned and waved to Lin Zhao, who was fishing. "Brother Lin Zhao... goodbye, Little Jiujiu will miss you..."
"Little Jiujiu?"
Lin Zhao dropped his fishing rod and rushed onto the stone bridge in a flash. However, from a distance, he watched as the old gentleman took Little Jiujiu's hand. One old and one young, they stepped into the mist. Beneath their feet was a white leaf, carrying all the karma of the Great Dao, like a small boat carrying them across the boundary of life and death.
For a moment, Lin Zhao's tears flowed.
...
Demon Realm, borderlands.
At the boundary of life and death, an ancient god with a severed torso looked up. Seeing a wisp of soul "stowing away" across life and death, he frowned. Bold!
But immediately, he heard the voice of that female immortal in his ear: "So forgetful?"
At that moment, the ancient god in charge of the boundary of life and death drooped his head and decided not to bother. This time, no matter how many people died in the human realm, he wouldn't actively guide them. The affairs of the human realm should be handled by the human saints; why should he interfere?